Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Over The Nexus
by sarahthemage
Summary: An aspiring, young duelist has dreams of becoming a champion Turbo Duelist. Along the way she faces many trials and hardships. However, she also meets many new friends that will help her on her journey. This is her story. Follows the plot of the game. OC pairing mentioned in later chapters. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Yu-gi-oh 5D's: Over the Nexus**

Genre: Adventure/friendship/romance

Authors note: This is one of my first fanfics so I apologize in advance if this is horrible. I will try to update on a weekly basis but I cannot make any promises. This story is based on the story mode of _Yu-gi-oh 5D's World Championship 2011_. There will be some filler and romance of my own creation throughout the story. Also the main character/deck is based on my character/deck in the game. However, I will not decide on who will be paired romantically with my character. That will be up to the readers (details for this will be at the end of the chapter). Otherwise, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Yu-gi-oh 5D's, its characters, settings, or storyline.

* * *

 _In an unknown location…_

"Perhaps that fate cannot be avoided. In the history the man creates, can we not escape destruction?" a large man laments solemnly.

A young man replies. "That's why the three of us came back here, is it not?"

The third being, a boy answers. "We still have time. Let's just relax and focus. Bwahahahahaha!" he laughs.

 _Meanwhile…_

The wind blowing around me. The scenery flying past. The cheers of the crowd seem faint compared to the racing of my heart in this moment. Just me and my opponent in the final stretch. I edge forward past my opponent and cross the finish line first. The crowd goes wild!

"The moment you have all been waiting for has arrived! Who could have predicted things would turn out the way they have?! Was this fate? Was this destiny? Was it nothing more than pure chance? No! This is the product of hard work and never giving up!"

The MC addresses the crowd, but I barely hear him. The adrenaline rush from what I had just accomplished coursed through me like a raging river. I had just become a champion Turbo Duelist!

"From Crash Town, she has fought her way up the ranks showing unbelievable courage and spirit! And her name is…"

Suddenly, the MC, the crowd, the noise all fades away. I hear a familiar voice calling my name.

"… …Sarah… …Sarah…! … … … …Sarah!" Wait a minute. That Grandpa's voice. "Are you not EVER gonna wake up or what?!" Wake up? Am I asleep?

I blink. When I open my eyes I find myself at home in bed. Of course. It was all a dream. I reluctantly get out of bed and get ready for the day before facing Grandpa. All the while, still thinking about that dream.

"FINALLY! I thought you were actually dead there for a minute! What's wrong with you today? It's me Klaus! I bet you were probably thinking about being a hot shot turbo duelist again, weren't ya?" I don't have to tell him that he hit the nail on the head because he sees it clear in my eyes and scolds me for it.

"I know you've been saying you want to be a turbo duelist in the City, but that's nothing but a fantasy. Anyway, I'm going to work. I've gotta go dig up Dyne from the mine. Dyne is necessary to make Duel Runners run, and excavating it is how we make our living around here. Anyway, I'll be back later. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Your deck I on top of the table. A real duelist will always keep his deck by his side, no matter what."

With that, he leaves. I pick up my deck and duel disk from the table. I decide to visit my friends today, so I head out myself. You see, I live here in Crash Town with Grandpa Klaus. It looks just like one of the towns you see in old-time western movies, small town in the middle of nowhere. And as you probably figured out from Grandpa, the people here make their living by digging Dyne out of the nearby mine. It's not the greatest life, but I'm determined to become a turbo duelist and get out of this place. No matter what Grandpa says, I'll be a great turbo duelist. Someday.

* * *

Authors note: As I said before, I am leaving the OC pairing blank for now because I want you, the reader, to decide. Please tell me in your reviews who you would like to see the main character with and I will tally the results. Keep in mind that this will not always be open. I will stop taking ideas after the fourth chapter is posted. Also, I will only accept strait pairings. No yuri. With that said, please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but please don't flame.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's_ , its characters, settings, or plot.

* * *

As I step outside, I see my friends. West is running towards me with his sister Nico close behind. "Oh, Sarah! Good mornin'! I was just coming to get you," West exclaims with a grin as he approaches.

Nico comes and stands next to her brother while giving me a kind smile. "Good morning, Sarah."

Nico, West and I have been friends for a long time. Their father works all the time to support them, so Nico often takes the role of "responsible older sibling", which causes the occasional argument that I usually find amusing. We often hang out at my house or the hideout. "Come on, Nico, quit being so slow and lazy!" Speaking of these arguments, I sense that one is about to occur.

"I can't help it. You're too fast! You're gonna fall down and hurt yourself someday you know." I can't help smiling as they bicker. I know how it will end.

"Heh, I'm not a little kid, so I think I'll be okay," West says, ending the debate. "…Oh yeah! Today's the day that the card shop is finally going to open! I can't just stand around and wait like this… I'm going gonna go ahead and go back to our hideout!" He says excitedly before running off.

Nico sighs. "After I just told him it's dangerous to be running around like that… You should come with us! We'll be at our hideout in the mountain north of the crossroads." With that, Nico leaves for the hideout following after her brother. As you can probably tell, it can be difficult to get a word in sometimes, but those two are some of the best friends I could ever ask for. Nevertheless, I head toward the hideout myself.

As I enter, West speaks up. "Ah, there you are! There's something I really want to show you Sarah. Check it out!" This has me curious.

"I'm sure you'll have a good time. But it'll take a little bit to get ready, so wait a few minute!" Now I am really interested. West gets excited about a lot of things, however, Nico usually isn't involved. And it never involves a surprise for me!

"Okay… How about we duel until everything is ready?" West asks. I never turn down a duel, so I agree. "Don't go easy on me! I can hold my own, ya know!" (Skip Duel) "Awww, I lost… Something's not right…" West mopes, but quickly gets over it and gives me a "Spore" card.

"You're always in a hurry, West. That's why you lose! You should relax a little." Nico says to her brother.

West snaps back, "Oh, be quiet, Nico! Are you ready yet or what?!" _Oh, here we go again_ I think to myself and roll my eyes.

"I'm almost ready… I just can't find this one card…" Nico trails off. _No argument. That's a surprise._ Whatever they're planning, it's important enough to them both that they won't bicker over it. I really want to know what it is now.

"What are you doing? Don't worry about it. I'll give you one of mine later!" West says impatiently. "You go ahead and duel Sarah!"

"Fine, okay," she says as she caves in to her brothers wishes. "Sarah, let's duel! I'm not that good yet, but I want to see what I can do, so don't go easy on me!" (Skip Duel) "Hm, I thought I would lose. Dueling is hard, but that's what makes it fun!" Nico says, not bothered at all by the loss. Then she gives me a "Krebons" card.

Then, West speaks up. "Oh, are you done with your duel? I'm already here, too!"

"Thanks, West," Nico says. "Let's have Sarah take a look at it. What we wanted to show you is a duel puzzle that we came up with," she explains. "We thought of 5 different puzzles, so you have to pick one. If you can get 3 puzzles right, we'll give you a prize!"

"I don't really remember what we came up with, so Nico will take care of that," West adds.

 _Ah, that certainly explains somethings_. The three of us had heard about duel puzzles on the radio and had taken an interest. Especially Nico and West. That was months ago, however, so I can't help but wonder how long they've been working on this. As I said, though, I never turn down a duel and I'm not about to turn down a duel puzzle, either.

* * *

Authors Note: Many thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far. I have greatly appreciated it. I also appreciate all the votes for pairings so far. Votes for pairings will no longer be accepted after the FOURTH chapter is published. If you would like to have a say in what pairings make it into this story, then I encourage you to review and tell me as soon as you can. Results will be announced at the end of the fifth chapter. Also, if you would like me to write the duels, please let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Disclaimer** : I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its characters, settings, or plot.

* * *

After about half an hour, I have solved three of the five duel puzzles Nico and West have created. "Nice work, Sarah! Here's the present we promised," Nico says as she and West give me an "Enemy Controller" card.

Then we hear a voice that surprises the three of us. "Hey, let me in, too!"

We all turn to see our friend Toru in the doorway. "Toru! You're the one who said you were too busy putting together your Duel Runner to play with us!" West retorts.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Toru says sheepishly. "I just gotta finish it so I can hurry up and get to the City." Toru and I have been friends since we were babies. We both have the same dream to get out of Crash Town, but it seems Toru is closest to accomplishing that dream first.

"Yeah, you better! You keep saying you're gonna be the top turbo duelist in the world!" West reminds him.

Nico interrupts them to ask the question both of us are wondering about. "But since you're here, does that mean you finished your Duel Runner?"

"Of course… I haven't!" Nico, West and I sweatdrop. "I just came by to pick up a tool that I need." I have never wanted to slap Toru as much as I do now.

"Whaaat? I really wanna hurry up and see your Duel Runner!" West complains. Then he remembers something. "Ah! The card shop is open! I don't have time to be sitting around here talking to you, Toru!" West takes off and Nico and I suppress our giggles at his comment.

"Hey, don't say that! Wait… Today is when the card shop opens? I completely forgot." I slap my forehead as Nico shakes her head. "I guess I'll go check it out sometime later. Oh yeah, the tool that I needed. I'd hate to forget the one thing I came here for. Anyway, I'll see you guys later." Toru rummages around, grabs his tool, then leaves.

"Why don't you go check out the card shop too, Sarah? It's right there at the crossroads," Nico suggests. It sounds like a good idea so I decide to head for the shop.

When I arrive, I find West standing outside look at some cards. "Oh, Sarah! I think I got pretty good cards in this deck! Oh yeah, a little later, this shop is going to hold a Rental Deck Duel Tournament!" _Duel tournament?!_ I'm suddenly a lot more interested in this shop. "A rental deck is just a deck that's already been made, so you can try all kinds of different decks! They're different from the regular structure decks at the shop because they are all original!

"But the lady at the shop said one of the competitors hasn't shown up yet. Sarah, why don't you enter the tournament in his place?" West suggests. "Nico and I already signed up! I can't wait to go up against you in a Rental Deck Duel, Sarah!" Then he heads back to the hideout.

' _Duel tournaments always interest me and this rental deck tournament sounds like a good chance to try my skills with a variety of different card types. I think I'll take West's advice this time and see if I can enter,'_ I think to myself.

As I enter the card shop, a woman in a "Dark Magician Girl" costume approaches me. "…Hey, you there! Are you interested in a Rental Deck Duel? I know you are! You know about the Rental Deck Duel Tournament we're about to start, right? Of course you do! Actually, one of our participants hasn't shown up yet, so we were wondering if you would join instead!"

' _That was easier than I thought it would be.'_ "Sure. I'd be glad to," I tell her.

"You will? Thank you so much! Now we can start the tournament! Just tell us your name, please."

"My name is Sarah."

"…Sarah. Got it! All right, just come talk to me when you're ready to start," she says.

I decide that whatever deck I choose for the first duel, I will use throughout the tournament. Then, I approach the woman and tell her I'm ready to start the tournament. "All right, the tournament is about to begin. Everyone meet up at the crossroads." We head outside and the woman, Iranami, moves to the center of the crossroads to act as the announcer. There is a small crowd gathered to watch the duels. Nico and West are also here, so I assume that the other duelist is also here somewhere.

"Thank you all for waiting! Let the Rental Deck Duel Tournament begin! This is a round-robin tournament between our four competitors. The winner will receive a prize! The first match up is…" We wait in anticipation to find out who will duel first. "Sarah VS West!"

We are all surprised, but West and I stepped forward and stood across from each other. "I can't believe I have to go up against you first, Sarah!" West says.

"West is a youngster from Crash Town, but he can duel with the best of them! Let's see what he's got! He's up against Sarah, who entered at the very last minute! This should be a good match! Pick your deck and let's duel! Just remember, you have to turn those decks back in when you're done!" Iranami announces the start of the duel. I choose the "X-Sabers, Assemble!" deck and West chooses the "Fight, Gladiators!" deck. (Skip first round)

"I lost! Maybe the deck I was using just wasn't up to it…" West moped.

"The first match was won by Sarah!" Iranami announces. "Okay, and now for our next duel! Sarah VS Nico!"

Nico and I step forward and stand across from each other. "Go easy on me, okay?"

"West's older sister, Nico! Normally, she's a kind, loving sister, but I wonder about when she duels! And our surprise competitor, Sarah! Let's see how the mystery unfolds! Let's hope they put on a good show for us! Pick a deck and let's duel!" I choose the "X-Sabers, Assemble!" deck and Nico chooses the "Fight, Gladiators!" deck. (LOL randomizer) (Skip second round)

"You beat me, Sarah. Good luck on your next duel!" Nico congratulates me.

"And it's a win for Sarah!" Iranami announces. "All right folks, we're on our last duel! The final battle will be… Sarah VS Narumi!" A store clerk and I step forward and stand across from each other.

"Thank you for participating in our Rental Deck Duel Tournament today! But it wouldn't be interesting if I just let you win easily now, would it?" Narumi says darkly

"How unprofessional! Narumi has declared that she will win her own tournament! How will the dark horse react to this rude behavior? Can Narumi be defeated?! I want to root for the customer, but I don't want to get yelled at later by Narumi… Let's watch!" I choose the "X-Sabers, Assemble!" deck and Narumi chooses the "Infernity Infinity" deck. (skip final round)

"Awww, I lost. You win. Congratulations." Narumi says.

"Sarah is the winner by defeating the evil shopkeeper, Narumi!" Iranami says, extremely cheerful. "This concludes all the duels! The final results are in! Congratulations, Sarah! Here is a special card to commemorate your victory!" she says as she gives me a "Dark End Dragon" card. "And so, this concludes the proceedings for our Rental Deck Duel Tournament. Thank you both to our participants and to those of you who came to cheer them on!"

As everyone begins to disperse, Narumi speaks up evilly, "Ah, I almost forgot. Iranami, I have to speak with you about something later."

"N-no…!" Iranami stutters, terrified.

Then Nico and West approached me. "Wow, Sarah! I can't believe you beat everyone!" West says, in shock.

"Yeah, me either! I didn't think there was any way you could beat that Narumi girl." Nico agrees, equally shocked.

"I want to be a better duelist! I'm gonna go back to the hideout and start training!" West exclaims before running off.

Nico sighs. "Oh, that West… Doesn't he know that Dad will be home soon? Klaus should be back already, too. I have to go pick up West!" She says before going after her brother.

I look up to see the sun about to set. _'I was having so much fun, I didn't realize how late it was'_ I think to myself. _'I should get home before Grandpa gets too worried.'_ On the way home, I run into someone from out of town who seems to be in a hurry.

"Hey, you from around here? Where's the card shop? I'm entered in the Rental Deck Duel Tournament, so I'm in town to compete.

"Sorry, but the tournament ended twenty minutes ago. You weren't here so I filled in," I tell him.

"…What?! It's over already?! And YOU filled in for me?!" he says angrily. Suddenly, he calms down and gets serious. "Okay, that's it. You and me, let's duel. We'll see who should've been in that tournament! I'm gonna take all my anger from not being able to be in the tournament out on you!" (Skip duel) "Hey, not bad…! I guess it was better that you took my place after all. I bet you had the place going wild, eh? Here, I want you to have this!" he says as he gives me a "Soul Taker" card.

"Yeah, they went wild alright. I did win, after all." I tell him in response to his question.

"What?! You won the whole thing? Heh, I guess you're pretty strong after all. Well, congratulations." Then he walks away and I head home before it gets even later.

As I walk through the door, Grandpa speaks up. "Oh, you're back! I was waiting for you. Do you have any free time tomorrow? Well, I don't really have to ask… I know you're not doing anything!"

My eye twitches slightly at that. _'Why does he always assume I have nothing to do? It's true that I don't have anything tomorrow, but it's still annoying.'_

"So, I'm going to Satellite for shopping, and you're coming with me." Suddenly, my attitude changes. A chance to get out of Crash Town for a while? Count me in! "We're leaving early in the morning, so you better get to bed." I nod and head to my room so I can get an early start tomorrow.

I know Satellite is dangerous, but I can't help the feeling of excitement welling inside me. We may not be going to the City, but any time away from Crash Town is a blessing. Still, I have to wonder, _'What kind of adventures are waiting for me tomorrow?'_

* * *

First, I want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed and reviewed this story so far. I also want to thank the people that have voted on pairings. All of you are greatly appreciated. To those of you reading who have not voted on pairings yet, if you have a particular character you would like my OC to be paired with, you need to review and tell me now. Voting will be CLOSED after the fourth chapter is published so this will be your last chance to do so.

If you have not read the character profile of my other 5D's story, I am changing the update schedule. The new schedule is listed on my profile, so check it out if you are interested.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Disclaimer** : I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its plot characters, setting, or cards.

* * *

I wake up bright and early this morning, full of anticipation for the trip to Satellite today. I get ready and head outside to meet Grandpa, who is waiting by the town gate. He looks pleasantly surprised to see me awake and ready. "Well, look at you! You're up early. Looks like we can head out without much of a hassle today. Okay, you got everything? Let's get going."

Before we can leave, however, Toru's voice stops us. "Sarah!" he calls out to me.

"What's up Toru? You're awfully noisy for this time of morning," Grandpa asks.

Toru responds with a grin. "Hey, you know me. I'm always full of energy! Just glad to see you're doing well, old man."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. So anyway, what do you need? We're about to go shopping. Save anything that isn't absolutely necessary until tomorrow." Grandpa tells Toru.

"This is absolutely necessary. Could you get me some duel Runner parts while you're there?" Toru asks.

"Oh, is that it? Well, I'm pretty busy right now… Why don't you ask Sarah?" Grandpa suggests.

"All right, I'm countin' on ya Sarah! Here's the list of parts I need and the money," Toru says as he hands both the money and the list to me.

Grandpa takes the chance to remind us of the time. "Okay, should we get going? We don't have a whole lot of time to be sitting around here."

"Oh, sorry for keeping you. Take care!" Toru says, seeing us off.

"Hehe, don't cry while we're gone 'cause you miss us," Grandpa jokes.

"Gimme a break!" Toru exclaims as we leave Crash Town.

After a few hours of traveling, we arrive safely in Satellite. Grandpa lets out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad we got here in one piece. You've come to buy the Duel Runner parts that Toru requested, right? This isn't a very safe part of town. Watch yourself. We'll meet up here when you're finished shopping, okay?" Grandpa warns before going to take care of his own shopping.

' _Left to my own devices, huh? I wonder where the parts shop is.'_ I think as I begin exploring. I don't get very far when I see a little girl.

She sees me and calls to me. "Hey, you over there. Come over here." I approach her. "Have you seen Crow around?" the girl named Lilie asks.

"Um, Crow?" I ask in response.

"Huh? You don't know Crow? He's got orange pointy hair. Actually, Crow's gone missing. He's such a bother. Can you help me find him?" Lilie asks.

I can tell from the look in Lilie's eyes that she cares about this Crow and that she misses him. I decide that buying Toru's parts can wait awhile. "Sure. Of course I'll help you find him." I tell her.

Lilie smiles brightly at me. "Thanks a lot! I didn't get that far… I mean… he couldn't have gone that far! Well, come on then. Let's go!"

Since Lilie couldn't find Crow to the south and I just came from the north, we decide to head east. We walk for a little bit before we see someone who fits the description of Crow that Lilie gave me. "Is that him?" I ask Lilie. Instead of answering, Lilie runs toward him so I run after her.

"Wahhh! Crow!" Lilie cried as she ran to the guy I now knew as Crow.

"Lilie! I was worried about you! You weren't at home and all…" Crow was clearly worried and upset.

"That… that woman, she…" Lilie tried to say through tears

' _I get the distinct feeling that this is going to end badly.'_ I think to myself.

"What about her?" Crow asks

"She… she…!" Lilie is unable to finish.

"…What?! Why you…! How could you kidnap such a small child?! I can't forgive you!" Crow demands.

' _Yep, ending badly. He jumped to conclusions.'_ I think.

"N-no…!" Lilie tries to say, but Crow doesn't hear her.

"Come on! Get your guard up, kidnapper!" Crow says challenging me to a duel. There is no way out of this duel, so I have no choice but to duel Crow.

' _Adventure indeed.'_ I think sarcastically.

I make the first move. I draw, place Magic Jammer, Hammer Shot and Fissure face down, set Des Koala in face down defense mode and end my turn. Crow draws, activates Black Whirlwind, places two cards face down and ends his turn. I draw, place Mirror Force face down and flip summon Des Koala. This triggers Koala's ability, dealing 1200 points of damage to Crow. Then I attack directly with Des Koala dealing 1100 points of damage to Crow. I place my Shrink spell card face down and end my turn.

Crow draws, places a card face down and ends his turn. ( **A/n:** The AI must have got a bad hand in this duel.) I draw, summon Matza The Zapper and attack directly with Des Koala and twice with Matza The Zapper, dealing 1100 and 2600 points of damage respectively. I end my turn. Crow draws, activates his face down Mystical Space Typhoon and destroys my Shrink card. He then summons Blackwing - Bora the Spear, adds Blackwing - Breeze the Zephyr to his hand with Black Whirlwind's effect, summons Zephyr with it's effect and activates his Icarus Attack trap card, tributing Zephyr and destroying Mirror Force and my Hammer Shot. Crow activates his Dark Eruption spell, however I counter it with my Magic Jammer, discarding my Malevolent Nuzzler to do so. He attacks and destroys my Des Koala, dealing me 600 points of damage and ends his turn. I draw, activate my Fissure spell to destroy Bora the Spear and attack directly twice with Matza The Zapper, dealing 2600 points of damage and wiping out the 2000 life points that Crow had left, winning the duel.

"You're not bad… but I still won't forgive you for what you did!" Crow says angrily.

Then Lilie intervenes. "Crow, why are you so stupid! What are you talking about?!" She yells at him. "This person helped me get here!" she explains.

"What?!" Crow asks shocked. "But didn't you…try to kidnap her?" he asks me.

I shake my head 'no' as Lilie continues to yell at him. "You've got it all wrong, Crow!"

"Oh, what, seriously…?" he asks her exasperatedly. "It's 'cause you're crying so much! Just explain what's going on!" Crow scolds her.

"But…but…I was so lonely…and scared…and suddenly…" Lilie mumbles, upset again.

"Hey you, sorry about that… You were so kind and I mistook you for a someone nasty. Let me apologize, okay?" Crow apologizes to me.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad things got sorted out." I tell him.

"Wahhh!" Lilie stars crying again, startling me and Crow. "Wahhh, wahhh! You're so stupid, Crow!" she yells before running off again.

"Hey, hey… This has gotten serious…" Crow says as he starts to panic. "Sorry! Right now, it's impossible, but I really will apologize and thank you. What's your name?"

"Sarah."

"Sarah? I'm Crow," he officially introduces himself. "For now, this is for saying sorry. Please take it." Crow says as he gives me a "Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North" card. "See you, Sarah!" he says before running after Lilie.

I smile after the two new friends I just made. Then, I remember the reason I'm in Satellite and slap my forehead. "Oh man. I totally spaced. I should have asked Crow where the parts shop is!" I say to myself. I sigh before heading back the way I came. Hopefully, I can find someone else around here that knows where the shop is.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story and voted for pairings. I really appreciate it. I am no longer accepting pairings at this point. I will reveal the pairings at the end of chapter 5. Please review and tell me what you think so far. And no flaming, please.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its characters, plot, or settings.

* * *

After wandering around Satellite for a while now, I am getting frustrated. I still haven't found the part shop! That's it I'll just ask the next person I see where the shop is. If they don't know, then I give up! I approach a man with a pink shirt.

Before I can ask about the shop, he asks me a question. "Hey, I don't think I've seen you around here. Looking for something?"

"Yes, actually," I tell him. "Someone asked me to buy parts for a Duel Runner. Do you know where the shop is?" I ask politely so as not to irritate him.

"…Duel Runner parts someone asked you to buy? Well, I know just the right place. Come with me," he says as he smiles a really creepy smile.

' _I'm not sure I trust this guy, but right now he's the best shot I have at finding the shop,'_ I think to myself as I follow the man to what appears to be a run-down building. I'm not surprised though, most buildings in Satellite are run-down.

"This is the shop. They have other stuff apart from Duel Runner parts, but it's all high quality. If you tell them Gordon sent you, they'll treat you well."

"Okay. Thanks," I tell Gordon before he walks away and I enter the shop. Once inside, I approach the owner.

"What is it? You want something?" he asks gruffly. I tell him that Gordon sent me and his attitude changes. "Oh, Gordon sent you? Hehehe, welcome. What're you looking for?"

"Someone asked me to buy these parts," I tell him as I show him the list Toru gave me.

"This? Hold on a minute," he says as he looks for the parts. "It's around here someplace… Oh, here it is." He comes back and gives me a bag with the parts Toru requested. I pay him for the parts with the money Toru gave me. "Come back anytime if there's anything you need. I'll give you a good discount."

I thank him and leave the store. As I walk back to the meeting place, someone bumps into me then takes off. Then I notice that the parts I just bought are gone! _'That's not possible, how can they be gone!? The guy that ran into me must have stolen them! I gotta go after him!'_ I chase after him and see him enter a large building. At this point I realize it was Gordon who stole the parts. I try and go after him but a thug won't let me pass.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, wandering into someone's house without permission?!" I explain to him what happened and describe Gordon. "Huh? A dude with a bowl cut, a toothbrush moustache, and a pink shirt? I haven't seen him! Stop accusing me of such stupid stuff! Now, get outta here!" I don't budge. "If you're not leaving, I guess I'll have to teach you a thing or two about my strength…" Suddenly two more thugs appear, cornering me. I take a few steps back when someone intervenes.

"Come on now… Can you be any more stereotypical?" The voice surprised all of us and we all turn to see two young men about my age. I didn't recognize them and neither did the thugs. One of them has pale blue hair, dark green eyes and pale skin. The other has spikey black hair with gold streaks, cobalt blue eyes and tan skin. The one with blue hair spoke first. "Anyway, surely, this area's been controlled by our Team Satisfaction, eh?"

"More importantly, we can't let a villain like him run wild." The black haired guy replies.

"Huh?! Who are you guys?!" one of the thugs asks.

A different voice with an English accent answers from the other direction. "We just introduced ourselves, Team Satisfaction. You're not just bad, but stupid too, apparently." I turn to see another young man. He had blonde hair, violet eyes and pale skin.

"What?! What the heck is a team Whatchamacllit?!" another thug asks. I sweatdrop.

' _Well, he's right about them being stupid.'_

"You've never heard of us? Well, we're going to have to teach you, aren't we?" the blonde says.

The blue-haired guy then steps forward and turns to me. "Hey you! You're chasing the guy that came inside, right? Go on, we got it here!" I nod and run inside the building to find and confront Gordon. After searching for a bit, I finally corner him.

"Found you!"

He turns to me, shocked that I tracked him down. "Ugh! What were they doing?! I suppose you've come to get back those parts, right? You know in this town, it's the victims who are to blame. Think of it as a lesson and move on." I glare angrily at him. "…Or do you wanna duel with me and WIN these parts back?"

"If that's what it takes to get those parts back, then fine. Let's Duel!" I answer.

"Okay, are you ready?"

I go first. I draw, place a Bottomless Trap Hole, Royal Decree, and Dust Tornado face down, summon my Dark Blade, and end my turn. Gordon draws, activates Medallion of the Ice Barrier to add Defender of the Ice Barrier to his hand and activates Moray of Greed to return 2 water monsters to his deck and draw 3 cards. He summons Dewdark of the Ice Barrier, uses its effect to attack me directly, dealing me 1200 points of damage and ends his turn. I draw, activate Soul of the Pure to restore 800 of my life points, summon Matza The Zapper, activate Fissure to destroy Dewdark and attack directly with Dark Blade and twice with Matza The Zapper, dealing him 1800 and 2600 points of damage respectively. I end my turn.

Gordon draws, summons Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier, however I activate my Bottomless Trap Hole to remove his monster from play. He ends his turn. I draw, attack twice with Matza The Zapper to deal 2600 points of damage and attack with Dark Blade to deal 1800 points of damage and wipe out his remaining 1000 life points, winning the duel.

"A man never goes back on his word. I'll return these to you," he says as he returns the parts he stole. With parts in hand, I leave the building to see (a/n: I know who they are. You know who they are. I'm just going to use their names.) Kalin and Yusei from Team Satisfaction finishing with the thugs from earlier.

"Just like that! Weak and pathetic, you see!" Kalin says to the only thug left.

"Ugh! Can't you just forget about me?!" the thug asks then runs off.

They turn to me as I approach. "Did you catch the guy you were after?" Kalin asks.

I smile and nod. "Add I got back what he stole from me." I then explain what happened.

"…I see, so the guy who told you about the store stole you're parts just after you bought them…?" Yusei says.

"It's a common trick in this town," Kalin explains. "Well, the important thing is that you got your parts back."

"Exactly. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Yusei Fudo." Yusei tells me.

"I'm Kalin Kessler. And you are…?" Kalin asks.

"I'm Sarah," I tell them.

"Sarah? Good name. The guy who was here earlier is Jack," Kalin says. "And with one more member, we're Team Satisfaction! The team who united all of Satellite!"

"Is it all right if I took a look at the Duel Runner parts you bought?" Yusei asks. I nod and show him the parts. A frown crosses his face as he looks at the parts. "…This is bad, and it was made this way intentionally." This shocks both myself and Kalin.

"What?! Kalin and I exclaim.

"Really?" Kalin asks angrily.

"Yeah, as far as I can see, it's just junk stuck together," Yusei answers.

"I can't forgive them for selling this stuff!" Kalin exclaims. "Sarah! Show us where the shop is. Let's pay them a little visit!" I nod and lead the way back to the shop.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** First, many thanks to everyone who has been reading and following this story so far. Thanks also to everyone who voted on the pairings for this story. Now, for the results! After tallying the votes, the pairing will be… Sarah x Yusei! I would now like to know your opinion on something: would you like me to go back and edit in the duels that I have been skipping? Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Over The Nexus_ or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

When we arrive outside the shop Kalin speaks. "This must be it!"

Kalin then runs inside to confront the store owner. We hear a commotion inside but can't tell what's happening. Yusei and I share a look before Yusei says, "I think we'd better wait here."

"Agreed."

A short time later, Kalin emerges from the shop and gives me back the money for Toru's parts. "We got your money back, but I don't see any official products around anywhere," he says.

"All of these look just like they were put together randomly. I doubt any of them work." Yusei says.

' _Yusei's probably right. There's no way I can give these parts to Toru!'_ I think to myself.

"Yeah, but you need those parts, right, Sarah?" Kalin asks me. I nod.

"You mentioned that your friend asked you? Do you have the product name written anywhere? Like on a memo?" Yusei asks.

"Yeah. Right here," I tell him as I hand him the parts list.

"I think I can help you. Are you still okay on time?" I nod again. "Then, just hang on a moment. I'll get them for you soon," he tells me and runs off.

"He's gone. I haven't seen Yusei so full of life in a long time," Kalin muses. "Huh, I know he said to wait, but there isn't anything to do to kill time here…"

"Kalin, do you know where Jack is?" I ask. "I want to thank him."

"Knowing Jack, I guess he's at the new card shop location. Its north of the bowling alley," Kalin tells me. I thank him and go to find Jack.

I find him outside the card shop, just like Kalin said. "Hey, Jack. I wanted to thank you for helping me before."

"You came to say thanks? What a polite girl you are," Jack says. "Since you're a duelist too, instead of thanks, won't you duel with me?"

"Alright. I don't see why not," I tell him.

"No need to hold back. I'll show you my full power!" (Skip Duel) "What? I lost…? I can't believe it!" Jack says, shocked that he had lost. However, despite this fact he enjoyed our duel. "Oh, that was a fun duel. You might find a use for this card," he says as he gives me a "Vice Dragon" card. Then I see Kalin watching us.

"That looked like an awesome duel!" he says. "I just can't help myself when I see something like that… Sarah! Duel with me, too!"

"Sure, Kalin. Should be fun," I agree.

"Satisfy me! (Skip Duel) "Wow, it's amazing meeting someone as tough as you! Losing to you is completely satisfying! Thanks very much. I'm completely satisfied! Here, take this!" Kalin says as he gives me a "Vorse Raider" card. "But this just won't do. I have to become much stronger!" he says before running off.

"Kalin is looking really happy…" Jack muses.

At that moment, Yusei comes back. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sarah. This should be close to what your friend needs," he says as he gives me the parts he recommended.

I smile at him. "Thanks, Yusei. So, how much do I owe you for these?" I ask.

"Don't worry about it. I just put together some old parts that nobody wanted," he tells me.

Then Jack interrupts. "By the way, Yusei, this girl's a pretty good duelist. Why don't you try and duel her?" he suggests.

"Is that so? I saw Kalin looking especially pleased for himself. So that's why, huh?" Yusei muses before turning back to me. "Duel me."

"Okay. Let's duel, Yusei!"

"Now, show me what kind of dueling skills you have!" (Skip Duel) "Wow, you're good, Sarah! Now I know why Kalin was so pleased. I hope this helps you get even better," Yusei says as he gives me a "Junk Synchron" card.

' _Grandpa has probably finished his shopping by now.'_ I sigh. "It's time for me to be going now. Thank you, Yusei. For everything."

"Say hello to your friends for me," Yusei says.

"Look me up next time you're in town," Jack tells me.

"I will. See you guys later," I say before I run off to meet Grandpa Klaus.

As I approach, Grandpa speaks. "Oh, Sarah. You managed to get the shopping done with no problems?" he asks.

' _Um, I probably shouldn't tell him what happened. If I do, then he might not let me come with him the next time.'_ "Yep, no problems at all," I tell him.

"We still have some time to kill. You can go ahead and look around a bit more. It's not like we come here often. I'll wait for you here," Grandpa says.

I take the chance to look around the area one last time. Things may have been crazy today, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I made new friends and even though I might not see them for a while, I know I'll get to see them again. I approach Grandpa once more.

"Are we going home?" he asks.

"Yeah. We're ready," I tell him.

"Okay then. Let's go," he says.

As we leave Satellite, I look back for a moment as I already miss the friends I made today. By the time we return home, it's already dark and I decide to take the parts to Toru tomorrow. As I get ready for bed, my determination to one day leave Crash Town for good becomes even stronger. But not because I want to become champion. I want to leave so I can see _them_ again. Especially Yusei.

I may not have known him for long, but I've already fallen in love with him. Even if he only sees me as a friend. _'Lilie, Crow, Jack, Kalin and… Yusei. I will see you again. I'll get out of Crash Town one day. I promise,'_ I think before I drift off to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** First, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and followed this story so far. It really does mean a lot to me. Second, I would like to hear your opinion on something: Should I go back and add in all of the duels, just certain duels (i.e. Team Satisfaction duels, Rental Deck Tournament Duels, ect.), or should I just continue to skip duels all together? Please leave a review and let me know. Love you all and Happy Thanksgiving!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , it's characters, settings, plot, or cards.

* * *

 _The Next Day…_

"All that traveling yesterday sure was tiring. We should just chill at home today," Grandpa suggests, as I come out of my room with Toru's money and parts.

"I can't Grandpa," I tell him. "I have to take these parts to Toru, remember?"

"Oh, right. Toru's house is the one with the red door, right next to this one. You should take those to him as soon as possible," he says.

"That's the plan," I reply, rolling my eyes as I leave the house. I walk next door and let myself in like always. "Hey, Toru!" I greet him.

"Hey, Sarah. Oh, thanks for going shopping for me yesterday. I was gonna stop by your place later on, but yeah, you dropping by works, too," he says. I give him the parts Yusei gave me. "Um, isn't this a little different from what I asked for?" he asks "…Hm? ...Hm? Whoa, this thing is awesome! This one is way better than the one I asked for!" Toru exclaims after looking the parts over.

I explain to Toru everything that happened yesterday as I return his money. I leave out the part about Crow, Lilie and my new feelings for Yusei, though.

"I see… I had no idea. Now that you mention it, it does look handmade. Still, look! It looks really good for being handmade! But that's to be expected from Yusei Fudo, huh? I can't believe Team Satisfaction helped you out, and you got to duel with them! West'll be jealous! You should go tell him all about it! I'm sure he'll be at the hideout soon."

"You're right. I can't wait to see the look on his face. I'll see you later, Toru," I say as I leave Toru's house and head for the hideout.

As I enter the hideout, West speaks first. "Oh, hey Sarah! You went to Satellite yesterday, right? I wanted to go, too! Did you get to meet Team Satisfaction? The legendary team that unified all of Satellite… They're so cool!"

I sweat drop as I remember Kalin himself saying something similar. Then I grin. "Oh yeah, West. I met them," I say.

"Really?! How? Where? When?" West asks.

"I want to hear all about it, too!" Nico exclaims.

I tell West and Nico what happened yesterday. Again, I leave out the part about Crow, Lilie and my feelings for Yusei. They look at me, shocked for a few seconds before West speaks. "Wow! That is SO cool!" he exclaims. "So you didn't get to see the other member, Crow?"

' _Wait, Crow is the other member of Team Satisfaction?!'_ I think in shock. "No, I saw Crow, too. But he was busy taking care of some of the kids," I say still shocked by my realization.

"Oh, I didn't know Crow takes care of kids. Not only are they strong, but they're nice, too?! Team Satisfaction is the total package!" West exclaims.

Then, Toru walks in. "Hey, what are you guys up to? Talking about Team Satisfaction?"

"Toru, did you hear about Sarah's story?" West asks.

"It was because of MY request that Sarah met with Team Satisfaction in the first place!" Toru answers.

Nico and I roll our eyes as she speaks. "Then, surely Sarah got into that dangerous situation because of you, too?" she asks.

Toru sweat drops with embarrassment. "Well, yeah… but everything worked out fine in the end! Not to mention the great story it made for! Plus… Thanks to Sarah, my Duel Runner is complete!"

Nico, West, and I gasp in surprised joy and excitement. "You finally finished it?! Hooray!" West exclaims.

"That' great news! I'm happy for you, Toru," I tell him.

"Congratulations! You really worked hard on it," Nico says.

"I sure did! I'm about to take it for a test drive. I figured you guys would want to watch," Toru suggests.

"Of course I wanna watch!" West replies and runs out of the hideout.

Nico sighs. "…Oh, West…"

"I've got to get everything ready first anyway, so West and I will go on ahead. Just meet us in front of my house at the southern entrance to town. See ya there!" Toru tells us before going after West.

Nico and I look at each other before I head toward the town's south gate. When I reach Toru's house, West is waiting outside.

"Oh, hey Sarah! Toru should be here soon, too!" As soon as West says this, Toru rides through the south gate and stops right in front of us. "So this is Toru's Duel Runner…? It's so cool!"

"Get a good look at me on this bad boy, will ya?" Toru asks excitedly. Then he starts riding laps around the town.

"Whoa! He's riding it!" West exclaims. "Toru, slow that thing down!" West calls out. "No, look out! …Whew, that was close," West says as Toru swerves around an obstacle in the "road". "That is the coolest thing I've ever seen!"

I remain speechless, in awe of Toru's runner and remembering my own from the dream a few nights ago.

After the test drive, Toru approaches us. "How'd you like my driving?" he asks, grinning wildly.

"It was sooo cool! Well, when you weren't about to wreck anyway!" West answers.

"Heh, I was a little nervous. It's pretty scary going fast when you're not on a well-maintained course. Whaddya say, Sarah? Wanna take it for a spin?" Toru asks me.

I stare at him, shocked for a moment. Before I can answer West speaks excitedly. "I want to drive it, too! I bet I can drive it better than you can, Toru!" West exclaims.

Toru and I share a look. "NO!" We both tell him.

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't even reach the handlebars on a Duel Runner," Toru explains to him.

"Weak!" West complains.

"So what do you wanna do, Sarah?" Toru asks.

"I wanna take it for ride," I answer.

"That's what I'm talkin' about! All right, let's see what you can do!" Toru exclaims.

I change into a riding suit that Toru let me borrow, put on the helmet he hands me, then climb on the Runner. "All right, give it your best shot! Just don't go too crazy, okay?" Toru tells me before I take off. I swerve past obstacles at high speed as the scenery flies past me. I begin to lose myself in the speed as I rev the engine faster. The wind rushing past me brings a small smile to my face as I approach the south gate once more.

"That. Was. Amazing!" I say after coming to a stop in front of West and Toru, who looked shocked. "What?"

"Whoa, you're awesome, Sarah!" Toru exclaims.

"You were way faster than Toru!" West says excitedly.

"Hey! Shut up! That's not even true!" Toru objects.

"It IS true! I was watching both of you!" West argues back.

I sigh as I take off the riding suit and give it back to Toru.

"You were seeing things!" Toru insists.

"I think Sarah must have way more talent as a turbo duelist," West comments, making me blush.

However, West's comment makes Toru angry as he tries to grab West, who dodges Toru and hides behind me. "Just be quiet, will ya, West?!" Toru shouts angrily. He then starts chasing West around town.

I sweat drop. _'Some things never change I guess.'_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's:_ _Over The Nexus_ or its characters, settings, plot, or cards.

* * *

 _The Next Day…_

As I walk out of my room and head toward the kitchen, I hear Toru shouting from outside.

"Sarah! Come out here real quick!" he shouted yelled to me.

"What's all the fuss going on so early this morning?" Grandpa asks, irritated. "Hurry up and go out there so he'll shut up!"

Knowing that Grandpa is right, I head out to see what Toru wants. As I exit my house, I see Toru on his Runner. _'He looks like he's going somewhere. He's not leaving already, is he?'_ I think to myself as I run up to him.

"Yo, Sarah. I know this might be a bit out of the blue, but I'm heading into the City!" he tells me.

"You're really leaving so soon?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I just can't wait to see what a Turbo Duel is like in the City!" he says. Then he turns toward my house and starts shouting to Grandpa Klaus. "Hey, old man, I'm going now! Thanks for everything and take care of yourself!" He turns to me once more. "And you, you should come soon, too, okay? I'll be waiting!" Then he takes off on his Runner, leaving Crash Town in the Dust.

"I almost he's gone. Things are gonna be a lot different without Toru around," I say to myself. Just then, Grandpa comes out side.

"Oh, Toru left? I'm not sure how to act without his obnoxiously loud voice around here." Grandpa starts to go back inside, but stops in the doorway and looks at me. "…Don't tell me you want to go into the City and be a turbo duelist too now. I just don't think you're up to it. You'll be wasting your time. Trust me," he says before heading inside.

"Gee, thanks, Gramps! Way to have some confidence in your grandchild!" I mutter under my breath. I turn to face the Crash Town South Gate. "I don't know when, but I will make it to the City, too, Toru. I swear it!" I say to myself before heading inside myself.

 _A few years pass by in relative normalcy. During that time, I continued to look after and hang out with Nico and West. We never did hear from Toru after he left. I still plan to become a turbo duelist in the City so I practiced and improved my dueling skills whenever I had the chance. Though I always tend to do all my training without Grandpa knowing about it. Grandpa and I never went shopping in Satellite after that time, so I never saw Yusei or the others again. I've missed them a lot._

 _Along with my dueling skills, my crush on Yusei also grew stronger. Grew until I became certain that the feelings I have for him are all too real. Until I realized that I'm in love with Yusei. The day I realized this, I became even more determined to leave Crash Town. I was determined to meet Yusei and the others again and I wasn't going to do it sitting around here. And so I allowed my feelings to drive me forward in my training. Until one day…_

I'm at the kitchen table looking through my deck when West enters my house. "Sarah! Is Nico there?"

"Nico? No, she's not here. Is something wrong, West?" I ask him.

"…Hm, not here either, huh? She hasn't come back home yet."

' _That's not like Nico. She's always the first one home!'_ I think to myself, worriedly.

"She must be at the secret hideout!" West exclaims. Then we both run out of the house to find Nico. However, as soon as we step outside, we see my Grandpa approaching the house exhausted and out of breath.

"Something terrible has happened!" he exclaims.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?!" I ask.

"The war between the Malcolm Family and the Ramon Group is starting to get really serious! They've always been fighting over the rights to the mine, but it looks like it's getting even worse now. They're both building up their ranks trying to get even more powerful."

"So that's why there were so many strangers around town…" West says, clearly worried about Nico.

"You shouldn't go out wandering around on your own until things settle down," Grandpa tells West. Then something seems to dawn on him. "…Where is Nico?"

"Oh yeah! She hasn't come back yet, so I'm gonna go look for her in the hideout!" West explains.

"What?! I hope nothing bad's happened…" Grandpa thinks for a moment. "Sarah, will you go check the hideout and see if Nico is there? I'll be here at the house with West. Besides, Nico might show up here, so I want someone to be here…"

"Whaaat? I wanna go, too!" West protests.

"No, West. It's too dangerous. You stay here with Grandpa in case Nico comes here by herself. I'll check the hideout," I tell him.

"All right. I'll stay here, I guess," West concedes.

Then Grandpa turns to me. "Listen, you don't know what those thugs around town might be up to. Don't do anything crazy," he warns me. "Come on West, let's go inside."

Grandpa and West go inside as I start making my way toward the hideout. _'Hopefully, Nico is safe at the hideout and nothing bad happened. Oh, please let me make it to the hideout before any thugs find it.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** First, I would like to thank everyone who has favorited, followed and reviewed this story so far. I really do appreciate all of you. I would like to encourage you to leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far. I will always accept constructive criticism, but please do not flame. **P.S.** I am planning to go through all of my previous chapters and insert the important and/or plot-related duels. I am hoping to get all of these chapters done by January 1st 2016, however with the busy holiday season, I cannot guarantee that I'll have all of them done. Regardless, I will try to have most of them done at least.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Author's Note:** I'M BAAAAAAAAACK! And with new chapter! Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has stuck with me during my hiatus. As I said before, I was dealing with some personal issues and I did not want any of those problems to affect the content or quality of my writing. Now that I have sorted them out, I can get back to writing stories that you all will (hopefully) enjoy. I have not yet finished editing in all the plot duels. However, it should not be too much longer. And now, without further delay, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

* * *

I haven't gotten far in my search for Nico before I encounter a thug from the Ramon Group.

"You don't look like any friends of mine, but you don't look like you're from the Malcolm Family either," he said thoughtfully.

' _No duh, genius'_ , I think sarcastically to myself.

"I guess we just need to duel then! All right, let's do this!" he says as he ready's his duel disk. Not seeing any other choice in the matter, I ready my own duel disk for battle. (Skip Duel) "Hey, you're not too bad. Heh, I guess as long as you aren't my enemy, that's all right with me. So hey, we're cool… Okay?" he says before running away.

As I continue my way to the hideout, I am once again stopped by a thug. This time from the Malcolm Family.

"Hey! Yeah you, kid! You from the Ramon Group?!" he asks. I shake my head "no". "Well, what about the Malcolm Family?" I shake my head again. "Neither, eh? Fine. Duel me, and if you lose, you have to join the Malcolm Family!" He says as he pulls out a duel disk.

I sigh and get ready for another duel. _'Damn, these guys are persistent'_ , I think as we begin. (Skip Duel)

"Hey! This doesn't make you part of the Malcolm Family, ya know! But you'd better not go off and join the Ramon Group either! We don't need any more enemies!" He says before running off.

"Feh, never planned on it," I scoff to myself before continuing to the hideout. This time I make it to the hideout uninterrupted. To my relief, Nico is inside and unharmed.

"Sarah!" she cries when she sees me. "I was just out for a walk and this total stranger started yelling at me for no reason… I got scared, so I've just been hiding out here the whole time…" she explains to me.

"Well you don't have to be afraid anymore," I tell her gently.

"I know. I'm not scared anymore now that you're here," she replies with a smile.

"Good. Now c'mon. West and Grandpa Klaus are worried sick," I tell her and we head back to my house. Unfortunately, we run into one more thug on the way home, though I can't tell which gang they are from.

"Hehe! You look like a pretty weak and helpless little kid!" he says to Nico.

I step in front of Nico and ready my duel disk "If it's a duel you want I'm more than happy oblige."

"Why don't you get in on the fun here? Get ready to lose!" (Skip Duel) "No way! Losing really takes it outta me… Get outta here. I don't even want to see your face anymore!" he says before running away.

"Yeah, well, same to you, pal!" I say to myself before Nico and I continue home without further incident. "We're back," I say as we walk through the door.

"Nico! Where have you been?!" West exclaims worriedly.

"I' sorry to have worried you, West," Nico apologizes.

Grandpa breaks the tension in the room when he speaks. "I' glad you didn't get hurt or anything."

"Some weird guy started messing with me at one point, but Sarah protected me!" Nico says cheerfully.

"I see…" Grandpa says thoughtfully and gives me a look that causes me to sweatdrop.

' _I was actually planning on keeping that a secret from Grandpa so he wouldn't worry. There goes that plan,'_ I think sheepishly.

Fortunately, Grandpa changes the subject. "It might be too dangerous to go out right now. You both should just stay here for the night."

This statement shocks all of us and prompts the kids to object. "That's okay. We can make it home," Nico insists.

"No, that's not happening. Who knows what kind of trouble you two might get into again out there," Grandpa warns. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to the two of you. So, would you do an old man a favor and just stay for tonight?"

"Grandpa's right. You two should stay the night," I say in agreement. "Besides, you can't say no when he gets like this."

Nico thinks the offer through before responding. "…Okay. Thanks."

"What? We're staying here tonight?" West, who had been oddly quiet through the whole exchange, asked. "Yesss! Let's duel all night long!" He exclaimed excitedly. At this statement, my eyes widen, having had enough duels for the day.

Thankfully, Grandpa comes to my rescue. "All right. I'll take you on."

"Yes! I knew you were good for something, Klaus!" West says, causing Nico and I to laugh.

-The Next Day-

I wake up to an empty house. "Grandpa must have walked the kid's home already," I say to myself and get ready for the day. As I finish eating breakfast, Grandpa comes home.

"Sarah, are you awake?" Grandpa asks. There is an unusually seriousness in his voice which grabs my attention.

"Yeah, I'm up, Grandpa."

"I got Nico and West to their place safely. Nico was really thankful for all that you did. I know you must have done a lot for them. So how many people did you duel against yesterday?" he asks, getting to the point of the conversation.

I sigh, knowing that this was coming at some point and that I can't lie. "Three. One from the Ramon Group, one from the Malcolm Family and one I couldn't identify," I say solemnly.

"…So three in total then." I am expecting the same old "dueling is dangerous" lecture, however what Grandpa says next surprises me greatly. "How about we make it four now so I can see what you can do?"

"Seriously?! Sure!" I agree. _'Maybe now I can finally prove to him that I can take care of myself,'_ I think as we ready our duel disks.

"Let me see just how much better you've gotten!"

I have the first move. I draw, place Giant Germ in face down defense mode and end my turn. Klaus draws, summons Mother Grizzly in attack mode, attacks and destroys my Giant Germ. My Germ's ability activates from the graveyard, dealing Klaus 500 points of damage and summoning my other Giant Germ in attack mode. Klaus places two cards face down and ends his turn. I draw, summon my Gemini Elf in attack mode, then activate my Fissure spell card to destroy Mother Grizzly. I attack with Giant Germ and deal 1000 points of damage. Then I attack with Gemimi Elf, however Klaus activates Magical Cylinder and I take 1900 points of damage. I end my turn.

Klaus draws, summons a monster in face down defense mode and ends his turn. I draw, place a Bottomless Trap Hole face down and summon Matza The Zapper. I attack with Gemini Elf, however Klaus activates Dimensional Prison to remove it from play. I attack twice with Matza The Zapper due to his special ability, destroying his defense monster and dealing 1300 points of damage respectively. I attack directly with Giant Germ dealing 1000 point of damage. I end my turn. Klaus draws, activates the spell card Salvage, returning two monsters from his graveyard to his hand, and summons Mother Grizzly. He destroys Matza The Zapper and deals me 100 points of damage, then ends his turn. I draw, activate my second Fissure spell to destroy Mother Grizzly, summon my Vorse Raider, and attack with Giant Germ and Vorse Raider, dealing him 1000 and 1900 points of damage respectively. I end my turn.

Klaus draws, summons a monster in face down defense mode, places a card face down and ends his turn. I draw, activate my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy hs face down and summon my Dark Blade. I attack and destroy his face down monster with Dark Blade, however it's ability activates from the graveyard, allowing him to summon Cloudian - Atlus. I attack Atlus with Vorse Raider and deal 600 points of damage, however Atlus is not destroyed. I switch Giant Germ to defense mode and end my turn. Klaus draws and destroys my Giant Germ, causing its ability to activate and dealing him 500 points of damage. He places a monster in face down defense mode and ends his turn. I draw, and attack Atlus with Vorse Raider. Atlus isn't destoyed, however Klaus takes 600 points of damage, wiping out the 200 life points that he had left and winning the duel.

"You've gotten so much stronger… Maybe it's about that time…"Grandpa says thoughtfully after the duel. "I think you've proven yourself worthy enough for me to give you this card. Take good care of it," he says as he gives me the "Beast King Barbaros" card.

' _I really did it! I beat Grandpa! Huh… What's he doing?'_ I ask myself as I follow him to my room where he stands at the foot of my bed. I gape, shocked, as Grandpa pushes a button on the wall and the bed slides into the wall, revealing a set of stairs I didn't know existed.

"I bet you never knew there were any stairs below where you sleep all the time now, did ya?" he asks. Then he led me down to what appeared to be a lab of sorts. In the center of the lab is something I never expected.

"No way! A Duel Runner!?" I exclaim as I run up to the runner in front of me. _'It looks like it has seen better days,'_ I think as I examine the runner.

"This was your father's," Grandpa explains, flooring me. "He had an accident while riding it and died along with your mother."

' _Mom and Dad… died in a duel runner accident…? Grandpa… is that why…?'_ I think as I look back at him.

"That's why I didn't want you getting involved with any of this Duel Runner stuff… But I guess like father, like daughter. You were raised to have an interest in them. You know, Toru's parents died in the same accident, too. Your parents were good friends with Toru's parents. In fact, your father became a turbo duelist mainly because of Toru's father. Like father like son, eh? However, Toru has already finished his Duel Runner and has left. And you have grown quite proficient as a duelist.

"I can't stop you any longer. This Duel Runner is yours. Use it to pursue your dreams. Besides, this town is in danger. Malcolm and Ramon could butt heads at any time. This is actually a good time for us to move to the City. Could you go and tell Nico and West that we're moving? Everything's probably cooled off and they're likely in the hideout now. I'll get ready while you're gone."

I nod and head back upstairs, still stunned at Grandpa's words. His overprotectiveness and constant disapproval of my becoming a turbo duelist finally made sense to me. It was because of what happened to my parents. Then the second bit of information finally sinks in. "Wait… we're actually moving to the City?! Yes!" I had heard that a bridge had been built connecting the Satellite to the City. Maybe I could finally see my friends again, I could finally see Yusei again. With that thought, I bolt out of the house to tell Nico and West the news.

West speaks first as I enter the hideout. "Oh, hey Sarah! I see you were sleeping well as usual today!"

"Sarah, thank you for yesterday. The town seems to have calmed down a bit now," Nico says confirming what Grandpa had assumed.

"Guys, I have something to tell you…" I begin. "Grandpa thinks that things in town are getting dangerous. So, he and I are moving to the City."

"What?! You're going, too, Sarah?!" West exclaims.

"We're going to miss you…" Nico trails off. "But I guess it always was your dream to become a turbo duelist…"

"I know you'll be a famous turbo duelist someday, Sarah!" West says, encouraging me.

"Our dad is stuck here because of his job, so we can't leave…" Nico starts.

"But we'll always be cheering you on from right here!" West finishes.

"Good luck!" Nico tells me.

"Nico… West… Thank you." I say to them. Then I head back to the house.

As I enter the house, Grandpa is waiting. "I see you've been to tell them. Everything's ready here, too. Sure you're ready to head into the City? You still have time if you need to do anything around here."

"I'm ready, Grandpa," I tell him confidently.

"All right then, time to move to the City!"

And with that, Grandpa and I leave Crash Town for good. New Domino City was where my future was waiting. My dream of becoming a turbo duelist and reuniting with my friends is one step closer to fruition. _'New Domino City, here I come!'_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Author's Note:** Here's chapter 10 and the first part of the _reunion_ arc, as I like to call it. Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited this story so far. I hope you all will continue to read and follow this story and review if you enjoy it. Also, I have finally finished editing in all of the plot related duels. Feel free to read them if you like, however, DO NOT leave a review telling me how horrible they. I'm already well aware of it. Now, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

* * *

I am up bright and early this morning, having been too excited to sleep. Today is my first real day in New Domino City now that we're done moving in.

"Oh boy… Finally finished moving," Grandpa says. "It's new land. Why don't you take a look around?" he suggests.

"Not a bad idea. I do need to get a lay of the land." So with the decision made, I leave to explore my new home.

After walking a little ways east, I encounter a strange girl with blue hair. "Are you Sarah?" she asks

"Yeah, who are you and how do you know my name?" I ask suspiciously.

"I thought so. I'm Misaki. Why do I know who you are? I'll tell you if you win the duel."

"If it's a duel you want, then you should have said so from the beginning," I tell her.

"…Duel."

Misaki goes first. She draws, summons a monster in face down defense mode, places two cards face down and ends her turn. I draw, place Dust Tornado face down, summon X-Sabre Airbellum, attack with Airbellum and destroy her defense monster, Wattdragonfly, triggering its effect and allowing her to summon Wattgiraffe, then I end my turn. Misaki draws, activates her face down Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Dust Tornado, however I use Dust Tornado to destroy her other face down card. She summons Wattfox, synchro summons Wattchimera, equips it with Wattcube to raise its attack points and attacks me directly with Wattchimera's effect, dealing 1700 points of damage and forcing me to place Jinzo on top of my deck. She places one card face down and ends her turn.

I draw, tribute Airbellum to summon Jinzo, attack and destroy Wattchimera to deal 700 points of damage and end my turn. Misaki draws, activates the Wattcastle field spell, summons Wattwoodpecker and ends her turn. I draw, summon Matza The Zapper, attack and destroy Wattwoodpecker with Matza to deal 300 points of damage, attack again with Matza's effect to deal an additional 300 points of damage, attack with Jinzo to deal 2400 points of damage and end my turn. Misaki draws, places a face down and ends her turn. I draw, tribute Matza to summon Kiryu, attack with Kiryu to deal 2000 points of damage and attack with Jinzo to deal 2400 points of damage, wiping out the rest of Misaki's life points and wnning the duel.

"I'd heard you were strong. I guess I heard right. This is your welcome gift," she says as she gives me a "Des Wombat" card. "I'll tell you who I am. Come with me. I don't really like talking." She then leads me to a garage.

Inside is the last person I expected. "Did you forget something, Misaki?" asks the familiar voice of Toru.

"Toru, a souvenir," Misaki says.

"Huh? What's with you all of a sudden?" he asks and turns to face us. He is shocked upon seeing me. "…Sarah! It's you, Sarah! What're you doing here?! No way! You didn't bring her all the way from Crash Town, did you, Misaki?"

I facepalm as Misaki answers. "Toru, you dummy. Crash Town is far away. Do you really think you could get there in this short of a time?"

"Oh, um, yeah, I guess not," he answers sheepishly. "So then, why are you here?" he asks me.

"Things are getting real bad in Crash Town. The feud between the Ramon Group and Malcolm Family is escalating quickly. Grandpa and I decided it was time to get out of there, so we moved here to New Domino City," I explain.

"I see… I'm worried about West and Nico, but now that their dad is okay, they should be fine. But wow, it's really been a long time since we've had this group all together, huh!"

"Um, Toru? What group?" I ask.

"What team? Of course a riding team!"

' _Typical Toru. Leave it to him to dive in head first without dealing with the elephant in the room first,'_ I think to myself.

Misaki, having also realized this, bursts Toru's bubble. "Hang on. How about we start with introductions and go from there."

"Oh, um, yeah. Sorry, sorry. Let me introduce her then. This is Misaki. A girl turbo duelist. She's also really good with mech!"

"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," Misaki says. "Mostly from Toru."

"What are you talking about! I just barely mentioned her!" Toru retorts defensively.

"Toru, are you getting shy? It doesn't suit you well."

"For someone who doesn't talk very much, you sure are harsh… Anyway, riding team! Now we have a 3-person Duel Runner team! We can enter a lot of tournaments if we have a team! Sarah, you'll join the team, right?"

"How could I possibly say "no"?!" I tell him.

"All right! We're a team!" Toru shouts excitedly.

"I'm on the team. I'm one of you, too," Misaki adds

"We shouldn't get too happy yet, though. Misaki and I have Duel Runners, but you don't, Sarah," Toru says seriously.

"Actually, Toru," I begin, "I do have a Runner. It was left to me by my parents and Grandpa had kept it secret until he thought I was ready. Unfortunately, it's pretty worse for wear."

"I heard the story from Klaus when I finished my Duel Runner. He said you're a lot like your father. So we should be able to do even better than our fathers did! So show us that Duel Runner!" And so, Toru and I bring my Runner to the Garage for an examination. "How does it look over there, Misaki?"

"Difficult."

"Yeah, here too…" Toru sighs. "It seems like it would be easier to just replace everything… But this was left by your parents. We should use as much of this Duel Runner as possible. We need a CPU, engine and frame. We'll take the parts we need from those to fix this Duel Runner."

"The Duel Runner shop is closed," Misaki reminds him.

"Oh yeah, it's on holiday! Hmmm, how to get the parts I need…" Toru thinks aloud.

"The owner knows a lot," Misaki suggests.

"Yeah, the owner of Bootleg… I bet he'd know something. All right! Sarah, go ask the owner! Bootleg is a place in the building to the east. They'll be a sign out front."

"I'll search, too," Misaki offers then leaves.

"There she goes… First, you go talk to the owner! I'll go and find some of the more detailed parts!"

With that, Toru and I split up as I go to ask the owner of bootleg about the parts.

"Of course it's a bar," I mutter to myself as I enter Bootleg.

Sighing, I approach the bar. "What can I do for you?" the owner asks.

"That depends. Do you know where I can find some Duel Runner parts?"

"Oh, Duel Runner parts, eh? Well, I think I might know something. But don't think you can get some good info for free."

"Figures. What will this info cost?" I ask exasperatedly

"Here are 5 duel puzzles. If you get 3 correct, I'll tell you what I know about parts."

"Huh, not as bad as I thought it'd be. Okay, you're on."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Author's Note:** I AM SO SORRY! I didn't mean for this chapter to be so late. I have had no free time this past week to get it edited and posted until will not be changinging the update schedule, though. The next chapter of this story will be posted next week as planned. (Hopefully!) For those of you also reading my other _5D's_ story, I am also posting the next chapter of it sortly after this. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay. Thank you for being patient with me. Now, ON TO THE CHAPTER!

* * *

"Oh, good job. So nice to see young people of spirit are increasing. As promised, I'll give you information on Duel Runner parts." The owner says as he gives me a letter. "Do you know the apartment to the east of the closed Duel Runner shop?"

"Yeah, I know it. I live in it."

"Oh, you live there? Then this'll be quick. There is a man called Blister on the 4th floor of the apartment you live in. Show him this letter."

"Thanks." With information and letter in hand, I return to my apartment building and head to the 4th floor.

As I enter Blister's apartment, the man inside greets me. "Hey, you're the one who recently moved into the 2nd floor here. So your name's Sarah. I'm Blister. Nice to meet ya. Huh? You have something for me?"

"Yeah. The owner of Bootleg told me to bring you this letter," I tell him.

"Oh, it's from the owner. Let me see, let me see…" he pauses while he reads the letter. "I see. Duel Runner parts. Hold on a second." Blister gets something from a nearby shelf and gives it to me. "Here you go. It's a CPU. That's all I have at the moment. You know what? The underground duel arena near Bootleg opened up recently. A lot of people gather there, so you might be able to find some new information."

"Thanks. I'll look into it," I say before heading off to the underground arena.

Upon arriving in the arena, a young woman tells me that everything has been thrown out by someone and that I'm welcome to take anything I find. After searching the dark corners I find an engine and take it with me. With CPU and engine in tow, I head back to the garage. Before I can enter however, Misaki approaches me.

"Did you find the parts?" she asks.

"I found a CPU and an engine, but I couldn't find a frame."

"Oh. I found a frame in the plaza behind the garage. But the key won't work. Come and take a look." While Misaki enters the garage, I check out the plaza gates only to see Blister and a man I don't recognize open and enter the plaza. Curious, I approach them.

"Oh, Sarah. You came at a good time," Blister says as he notices my presence.

"So this is the one you were just talking about," the other man says.

"Yeah, I thought I'd give the Duel Runner parts to this girl." Blister then turns to me. "Stuff around here all belongs to Bolt, but we decided to clean up a little bit. If it's going to be thrown out anyway, I figured you might as well use it, so I came along," he explains. "That frame there can be given away, right, Bolt?"

"Hmmm… I guess so, but now that someone actually wants it, it suddenly seems kinda nice," the man identified as Bolt contemplates.

"Hey, we were gonna get rid of it anyway, so be a man and say yeah already," Blister tells him.

"Well, yeah I guess, but…"

Just then, Misaki comes up behind me. "It's unlocked. I brought pliers and everything. Sarah, did you break the lock?"

' _Oh God, your worse than Toru,'_ I think as I sweatdrop.

"Are you a friend of Sarah?" Blister asks her.

"Yes. Sarah, who's this?" she asks.

"Misaki, this is Bolt and Blister. They own these parts," I tell her.

"I see, the owner of the parts."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't need them anyway," Blister says. "But Bolt is having a hard time. I guess the only thing big about him is his body."

"Shut up!" Bolt shouts. "I don't know… I just feel it's a bit of a waste!"

"I see. I think I understand now," Misaki replies.

"Oh, you get what I'm feeling?" Bolt asks with a laugh.

"You're the last boss. You're the last obstacle to completing the Duel Runner." I face palm.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Bolt asks angrily. However, he suddenly calms down as he appears to have thought of something. "Hm? Hold on a second. Okay then! Let's do this. You two versus us two in a Tag Duel! If you beat us, we'll give you the frame! How does that sound, Blister?"

"Sounds all right to me… How about you guys?" he asks us.

Misaki and I share a look before she answers for us. "We'll do it."

"Now, that's a real duelist! Okay then. You just let us know when you're ready." Bolt says. "Blister don't take it easy on them."

"You know I'm not the type to hold back in a duel!"

Blister makes the first move. He draws, activtes two Magical Mallet's, summons Machina Soldier, equips it with Mist Body and ends his turn. Misaki moves next. She draws, summons Wattphesant, attacks directly by its effect, temporarily destroying Machina Soldier with it's other effect, places Bottomless Trap Holeface down and ends her turn. Bolt goes next. He draws, activates the Spider Web field spell, summons Spyder Spider, which is destroyed by Bottomless Trap Hole, attacks and destroys Wattphesant with Machina Soldier to deal us 600 points of damage, places two cards face down and ends his turn.

I go last. I draw, place Bottomless Trap Hole face down, activate Shield Crush to destroy Machina Soldier, activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Spider Web field spell, summon Giant Germ in face down defense mode, activate Monster Reborn to revive Machina Soldier on our field, attack directly with Machina Soldier to deal 1600 points of damage and end my turn. Blister moves next. He draws, summons a monster in face down defense mode and ends his turn. Misaki goes next. She draws, summons Wattgiraffe, flip summons my Giant Germ, attacks and destroys the face down monster with Machina Soldier, attacks directly with Wattgiraffe and Giant Germ to deal 1200 and 1000 points of damage respectively, places one card face down and ends her turn.

Bolt goes next. He draws, summons a monster in face down defense mode, activates Nightmare's Steelcage and ends his turn. I take my turn. I draw, tribute Giant Germ to summon Jinzo and end my turn. Blister goes next. He draws, places a card face down and ends his turn. Misaki goes next. She draws, sets Shining Angel, switches Wattgiraffe to defense mode and ends her turn. Bolt goes next. He draws, sets a card face down and ends his turn. I make my move. I draw, summon my second Giant Germ in face down defense mode, switch Wattgiraffe to attack mode, destory their face down monster with Machina Soldier, attack directly with Wattgiraffe and Jinzo to deal 1200 and 2400 points of damage respectively, taking out the last of their life points and winning the duel.

"Hey, you two are pretty good!" Bolt says after our victory. "A man keeps his word. Go get the frame. We'll call this a discount! Go ahead, take this, too!" he says as he gives me a "Sangan" card.

"Such a guy…" Blister mutters as he and Bolt leave.

"We beat the last boss and got a battle prize," Misaki says. Together we take the CPU, engine and frame back to the Garage where Toru is waiting for us.

"Hey, you're back! Did you get all the parts?" he asks. We nod. "All right! Good job getting them all, Sarah! Misaki, you did good, too!"

"Huh, oh, uh… You're…welcome…" she stutters out.

"Okay, I got all the detailed parts, let's get started on the repairs! Misaki, you get ready, too!" Misaki doesn't respond. "Misaki?" Toru asks.

"Okay."

"Sarah, you help, too!" And so the three of us spend the day repairing my runner, making it look good as new. "All right! Repairs are finished! Good job, you two!" Toru exclaims after we finished.

"The Duel Runner is reborn," Misaki adds.

"Let's give it a try! …That's what I was gonna say, but I'm really beat today. Wanna do that tomorrow instead?" Toru suggests.

"Weakling," Misaki comments.

"Hey, watch it!" Toru warns jokingly. "Sarah, you're tired from gathering all those parts too, right?" I yawn and nod in response. "See, Sarah is tired, too!"

"Okay. We'll take the rest of the day off," she finally relents.

"Just the words I wanted to hear. Thank you very much, Princess Misaki." Toru tells her.

"Princess?" she asks

"Forget it. Anyway, let's take the rest of the day off and come back tomorrow."

' _He is such a flirt. Still they are cute together,'_ I think to myself with a grin

And so we go our separate ways for the night agreeing to meet at the Garage the next day.

When I walk into the apartment, Grandpa speaks up. "Why do you look so happy? Did you find a princess or something?"

' _Princess or…? I swear he Toru are so alike it's ridiculous!,'_ "No, but I ran into Toru today! And helped me fix my Runner!"

"Huh? Toru?! Neighbors with him again. You two must have some weird connection. And your Duel Runner got fixed? That's great news! Don't get too happy. It's important to remember that Duel Runners can be dangerous."

"I know, Grandpa," I reply.

He sighs. "I really sound old and preachy. You're tired, right? You should probably rest now."

I take Grandpa's advice and hit the hay. Before going to sleep though, I can't help thinking about Yusei and the others. It would be easier to get around now that my Runner was working. Maybe I'll head into Satellite and look for them after the test run tomorrow.

-The Next Day-

I wake up early and am greeted by Grandpa. "Oh, you're up early today. I have something to give you actually." I'm a little surprised when he gives me a riding suit. "A riding suit. You'll be needing these if you'll be riding on Duel Runners, right? I lectured you a bit yesterday, but remember, I'm always on your side. You do what you think is best. But no matter what, always remember your friends."

"Right. Thanks Grandpa," I reply with a smile before heading out to meet Toru and Misaki.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Author's Note:** OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY! I didn't mean for this chapter to be so late! I have been so busy with work, I've barely had time to think let alone write and edit this chapter! I can't really make excuses now, but I swear, from now on I will try to keep this on schedule. Granted, I can't be sure that I won't be busy again. However, I have created a Twitter account for exactly this purpose. If I get swamped again, I will post it on my Twitter page along with the expected update date. I will post the account user name on my profile page later today. Again, I am so sorry. Now, enough of my babbling, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

* * *

As I enter the Garage, I am greeted by Toru and Misaki. "Oh Sarah! Today's your first ride on the Duel Runner!" Toru says.

"Sounds fun," Misaki adds.

"Oh! Oh, you've already got a riding suit?"

"Yeah. Grandpa gave it to me this morning."

"A present from Klaus, huh. Pretty stylish!"

"A really "grand" present for a grandchild…hahaha…" Misaki tries to joke.

"Ugh, what a bad pun… Now, let's go have that test ride! Let's go to the mountain pass!" Toru declares.

"Oh yeah, the Duel Runner shop reopened, starting today," Misaki says as an afterthought.

"Wha…! You mean if we had just waited until today, we could have just bought the parts?!" Toru asks with a shout.

"Why did we kill ourselves with all that work yesterday…?" Toru mumbles, depressed.

"We worked hard, and got the parts. We worked together and finished the Duel Runner," Misaki answers. "Now we will really appreciate it. And the Duel Runner will be happy, too." With that, she leaves.

"You're right, Misaki. Working hard for it shows we're devoted!" Toru agrees, having been cheered up by her words. "And it was also the first time I've seen you so happy, Misaki. Now, let's go to the mountain pass!"

As Toru and I follow Misaki to the pass, I grin. _'Looks like I'm not the only one with a crush. I think Toru has crush on Misaki. I might have to play matchmaker a little later.'_

"Yeah! Sarah, it's time for your Duel Runner test drive!" Toru exclaims when we reach the pass. "All right. Then let's get right on it. I'm excited to have this Turbo Duel with you! Misaki, look at how Sarah's Duel Runner moves!"

"Understood. I won't even blink," She answers.

"Well, you can blink, you know? It's sort of impossible not to…" (skip duel)

 _Meanwhile…_

Three beings cloaked in white stood atop three pillars. The figure of middle height spoke suddenly. "Wait… Did the circuit just respond?"

The shortest figure answered. "It's all in your head. Maybe you've finally gone mad. Bwahahaha!"

"The circuit will not appear for a while yet," the tallest figure told them. "That is why we are preparing the Duel Bot."

The figure who spoke first said nothing to this.

 _Back at the pass…_

"No way! Was that really your first Turbo Duel? How could I lose?" Toru asks, stunned.

"Sarah is good. Or is Toru just…weak?" Misaki teases.

"Lalalalalala! I can't hear you!" Toru retorts immaturely.

"How unseemly," she says. "A remembrance of your first match and your first win. Use it," Misaki tells me as she give me a "Gene-Warped Werewolf" card.

Suddenly, we are approached by a guy with long blond hair confronts us. "Hey, who are you guys? This is my practice course. You can't just use it without permission."

' _Oh God, I HATE guys like this,'_ Sarah thought to herself.

"Who are YOU? And this is a public road!" Toru retorts.

Misaki speaks up next. "I know this guy. Breo…"

"Ah, looks like this young lady knows who I am," Breo says calmly. "It's because I have so many fans. I'm practically famous."

"You're a big fish in a little pond. You flatter yourself and you're deluded," Misaki counter bluntly, causeing me to splutter with laughter.

"Hey! Don't push me! Just because I'm a gentleman doesn't mean I'll just take it! Let's decide it with a race! If any of you can beat me, you can use this space as much as you want!" Breo challenges.

"I just said this is a public road…" Toru grits out. "Oh whatever. Fine, you're on!"

"Come on, we're starting now! Too late to be chickening out!" Breo declares.

' _That's it, Breo. Keep running your mouth. 'Cause I'm gonna make you eat those words!'_ I think as the four of us approach the designated starting line. Breo manages to take an early lead on us, however by the middle of the track I'm beginning to catch up. As I swerve past obstacles in the track, I once again lose myself in the speed of the ride. I'm enjoying myself so much that I don't even realize when I leave Breo in my dust. I come to when I cross the makeshift finish line, winning the race. However the joy is short-lived when Toru and Misaki's Duel Runners break down upon reaching the finish.

"Well… so you're not bad! Practice if you want… I don't care!" Breo says then runs away.

"He wasn't just all talk… We pushed our Duel Runners too hard and now they're acting funny…" Toru admits, downtrodden.

"The pride of a big fish is not to be taken for granted," Misaki agrees. "Let's hurry and fix our Duel Runners."

"Yeah, let's get them fixed and start practicing again!" Toru replies perking up.

"These can't be easily fixed. Both are complicated problems," Misaki states.

"Seriously?! Well, if you say so…"Toru reluctantly accepts.

As he says this, I notice someone approaching from a distance and my eyes widen in recognition. I haven't seen the man approaching us since I had gone shopping in Satellite with Grandpa. His spikey orange hair is a giveaway. It's Crow, the first member of Team Satisfaction that I had met. And from his reaction when he saw me, he recognized me also.

"Ohhh! I thought I knew you from somewhere! Sarah!" His statement confirms my assumption and I can't help but smile. "Are these two your friends?"

"Yeah, this Toru and Misaki."

"Toru and Misaki, huh? I'm Crow. Good to meet ya! You look down. Did something happen?" Crow asks.

Toru starts. "Our Duel Runners are broken."

"They look like they'll be hard to fix…" Misaki finishes.

"I see. Well, that's though luck. Wait a minute… This is a chance to repay my debt!" Crow says to himself.

' _Crap. I was kind of hoping he'd have forgotten about that part,'_ I think to myself.

"I'll bring a super mechanic! He knows everything about Duel Runners!" Crow offers. For a brief moment, an image of Yusei flashes before my eyes, but I shake it away refusing to get my hopes up. I have reunited with one friend today and I do not want to push my luck.

"That'd be great!" Toru says. "But is that okay with you, Sarah? I mean is it really okay if he repays you by repairing our Duel Runners?"

"It makes no difference to me," I tell Toru honestly.

"Yeah, I didn't figure you'd be the type to care about something like that. So Mr. Crow, please help us!" Toru accepts.

"Please," Misaki adds.

"Don't be so formal! You're friends of Sarah, right? "Mr." make me feel all itchy!" Crow's comment make me giggle.

"We're counting on you, Crow," Misaki tells him.

"Um, yeah, just leave it to me!" Crow replies a bit sheepishly.

"Sorry, she doesn't mean anything bad…" Toru trails off.

"She's a funny one. I think I like her!" Crow says brushing it off before changing the subject. "So where is your garage? You don't plan on repairing them right here, do you?"

"The garage is in the DAIMON Area," I answer.

"The DAIMON Area? Okay, I'll bring an awesome mechanic! You just wait!" Then he runs off.

"The mechanic went from super to awesome," Misaki states.

While Misaki seems to vanish, Toru and I return to the garage to wait for Crow and his mechanic friend. When they arrive, my eyes widen in recognition for the second time that day. The "mechanic" had gravity-defying black hair with gold streaks and striking cobalt-blue eyes. It was the man I had fallen in love with, Yusei Fudo. _'Somebody up there must like me today.'_

"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is our ultra mechanic!" Crow says.

"I'm Yusei Fudo. Crow talked to me, if there's anything I can do to help…" Yusei trailed off when he saw me and his eyes widen in recognition. "Are you Sarah?" he asks, almost as if in disbelief. I nod in confirmation, fighting back my happy tears and the sudden urge to hug him.

"Huh? Do you know each other, Yusei?" Crow asks, confused.

"Yeah, we met a long time ago in Satellite. Long time no see, Sarah."

Before I can respond, Toru speaks up in realization. "Oh, you're the Yusei Fudo who supplied the parts!"

"Yeah. These must be the friends you mentioned. How were the parts?" Yusei asks.

"They were great!" Toru replies enthusiastically. "Thanks to you, we finished the Duel Runner! We're still using them now."

"I'm happy to hear it. Let me take a look at it." Yusei says.

Crow, meanwhile, still looks very confused. "Huh? So you all know each other."

"Try not to overthink it, Crow. I'll explain it all later," I assure him as Yusei and Toru examine the Runners.

"All right. Well, I'll help you guys tomorrow. Today, I'm all booked up," Yusei says as he and Crow are getting ready to leave.

"I'll help, too!" Crow adds

"Thanks!" Toru replies before Yusei and Crow head out. "Wow, I didn't expect Yusei to show up…" Toru says after they're gone.

"Yeah, me neither," I say in agreement. After seeing him for the first time in years, my heart was still racing as fast as my Runner. Just then, Misaki returns.

"Where did you go, Misaki? The ultra mechanic already left," Toru asks.

"I was looking for parts we could use for repairs," she answers.

"Oh, I see. The repairs will be tomorrow by the way. They said they would help. We'll do our best to help, too!" Toru tells her.

"I'll do my best."

Suddenly, Grandpa Klaus comes in out of breath. "Th-there you are!"

"Grandpa!?"

"What's wrong, Klaus?!" Toru asks.

"Re-read this!" Grandpa says as he gives me a letter from Nico. I am immediately concerned because the letter has only one word: HELP. "Something must have happened at Crash Town…!"

"We have to do something!" I say.

"We have to go help right away!" Toru agrees.

"We can't. The Duel Runners aren't running," Misaki reminds him.

"Ugh! What should we do?" Toru asks the ceiling in frustration. Then he realizes something. "Sarah! Your Duel Runner works just fine! Go ahead of us!"

"We'll follow as soon as the repairs are done," Misaki adds.

"We're counting on you, Sarah!" Toru finishes.

"Don't do anything stupid…" Grandpa warns me.

"All right! I'll leave for Crash Town immediately!" I say filled with determination. Nico and West need me and I have to help them. There's no time to lose.


End file.
